Achilles Heel
You remember the story of Achilles, don’t you? Sure—he was the hero of Greek mythology who couldn’t be beaten in battle—or so everyone thought.
Achilles’ mother was the sea goddess Thetis. But his father was a mortal. Naturally, Thetis wanted to make her son Achilles immortal too. So she dipped the baby Achilles into the sacred water of the River Styx, believing that the water would make Achilles invulnerable to injury. She was right.
Armed with this protection Achilles grew to adulthood and fought in battle after battle during the Trojan War. He was never wounded. But during the Battle of Troy, one Trojan warrior found a “weak spot” in Achilles mythical armor. When Thetis dipped Achilles in the river, she held him by one heel, leaving that spot dry and therefore unprotected. Paris, a Trojan warrior knew this and hit Achilles with a poison arrow in his heel, killing him.
Achilles’ mother wanted to protect her son. In real life, our families wish they could protect us with special armor on the job each and every day. But they can’t. The only way to protect yourself from injury is to work safely. Your family depends on you for their safety and security. Here are some things to consider:
*Safety rules and safe work procedures are the armor that can protect you. They were developed by safety professionals to eliminate an Achilles heel in any job procedure. They were developed to return you to your family safe and sound at the end of every day. Why not use them?
*Stay Alert. Almost every accident is a lapse in attention. Think ahead before you start a job. Mentally scan your work area for possible hazards. Don’t let your work routine become so familiar that you get careless.
*Don’t Take Shortcuts. Productivity is good, but rushing through tasks is dangerous. Safety demands attention to detail and that means avoiding shortcuts. Period.
*Be careful around chemicals. Read SDS’s, labels and your company’s hazardous chemical list. Know the chemicals you’re working with, know the hazards and know the way to protect yourself.
*Keep Work Areas Clean. Slips, trips and falls can be devastating, career-ending accidents. Why risk serious injury from something so preventable? Keep your work area scrupulously clean and you eliminate the main cause of slips, trips and falls.
*Wear the right protective equipment. Goggles, hardhats, gloves—P.P.E protects. So make sure it fits properly and use it!
Work Safely Your Family Needs You
*Copyright 2005 Harkins Safety B192
